Sunday, 30 March 2014

Great Horned Owl on the Nest

Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus

on the Nest

25 March 2014

A fellow member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists lives in a beautiful home in Kitchener, located up against a ravine which is a veritable magnet for wildlife. A pair of Great Horned Owls has taken up residence there and nesting was already underway by late February. Despite the cold temperatures and the continued presence of deep snow, Great Horned Owls routinely begin to breed well before winter is over, so this nest is not exceptional in terms of timing.

We were very kindly invited to visit and view this spectacle and we were happy to so, of course.

The following pictures lay no claim to photographic excellence, for they were taken from a distance and at an angle not especially conducive to photography. Furthermore the owl's tail is blocking part of its face. Of paramount importance, however, it was incumbent upon us not to disturb the bird on the nest.

We are looking forward to a return visit when the young owls have fledged and are sitting out on a branch.

You know what Richard, I am a lucky man. I have been interested in birds, and nature in general for that matter, since I was eight years old, and it has always given me a focus in life, and it has taken me to some wonderful places.